Flagg's The Far West, 1836-1837, part 2

In Short

This volume brings together two distinct accounts of nineteenth-century American expansion: writer Edmund Flagg’s reflective travels through the Mississippi River Valley and Jesuit missionary Pierre-Jean de Smet’s record of his ministry among native nations in the Rocky Mountains. Flagg documents the rapid modernizing of early French settlements, while Father de Smet chronicles his journeys across the high plains, details daily life in the Bitterroot Valley, and maps spiritual doctrine for native converts. The book endures as a vivid double portrait of the changing frontier, blending romantic landscape writing, historical analysis, and firsthand ethnographic observation.

The Story

The narrative opens with Edmund Flagg moving through the wilderness and settled borders of the Illinois country during the late 1830s. He travels past collapsing forest trees, swollen river bends, and ancient mounds, reflecting deeply on the history of French exploration. Flagg retraces the paths of Marquette, Joliet, and La Salle, examining the physical remains of early colonial outposts like Fort Creve Cœur and Fort Chartres. As he observes simple French villages adapting to American jurisdiction, he laments the relentless march of technological progress. The steamboat, widened streets, and aggressive land speculation replace the old ways of the voyageur, sweeping away timber cottages and quiet village life. Flagg pauses over environmental curiosities, regional diseases, and local folklore before concluding his autumn pilgrimage on the banks of the Mississippi in St. Louis.

The narrative then shifts west to the correspondence and journals of Father Pierre-Jean de Smet, who sets out from St. Louis in April 1841 bound for the Rocky Mountains. Arriving at Westport, his party survives lost animals and fire before striking out across the open prairies. De Smet details the geography of the Kansas and Platte rivers, marveling at the shallow, island-studded waters and the vast open plains. The mission party navigates difficult mountain defiles, mineral springs along the Bear River, and perilous passes, finally reaching the interior valleys of the Northwest.

High in the northern Rockies, de Smet establishes the St. Mary’s mission among the Salish (Flathead) people in the Bitterroot Valley. He organizes community life around religious instruction, daily prayer, and formal schooling, using a system of tickets and rewards to encourage learning. The text follows the tribe through seasonal buffalo hunts across snow-covered plains, where extreme cold and near-blindness test their endurance. De Smet journeys further across rugged terrain, crossing treacherous natural bridges and mountain torrents to visit neighboring tribes, including the Kutenai, Kalispel, and Okanagan. He reflects on the immense challenge of communicating across dozens of distinct native languages and outlines a visual teaching tool—the Symbolical Catechism—designed to illustrate sacred history from creation to modern schisms. The work closes with de Smet’s optimistic vision of establishing enduring, peaceful Christian communities across the Far West.

How It Unfolds

The journey through Illinois Flagg wanders through the river valleys and bluffs of the Illinois country, taking in ruined fortresses and early French settlements. He considers how modern development rapidly replaces traditional community life and historic landmarks.

Reflections on the old regime Examining sites like Fort Chartres, Flagg contrasts the old French and Spanish colonial laws with the technicalities of American jurisprudence. He notes how the arrival of steamboats permanently altered the traditional lifestyle of the local voyageurs.

Setting out for the mountains Father de Smet leaves St. Louis and travels by riverboat to Westport before launching an overland expedition across the Kansas and Platte river valleys. Along the way, he records the geography, natural springs, and encounters with local tribal leaders.

Crossing the Great Divide The missionary party drives its wagons over rugged mountain passes and treacherous defiles near the Bear and Snake rivers. After overcoming exhaustion and dark precipices, they arrive safely in the territory of the Flathead nation.

Establishing St. Mary's In the Bitterroot Valley, de Smet builds a central mission, introducing a structured schedule of daily prayers, catechism classes, and school incentives. The community adapts its routines to withstand severe winter buffalo hunts and harsh mountain weather.

Expanding the western ministry De Smet travels across dangerous rivers and mountain paths to reach surrounding tribes, noting tribal burial customs and linguistic barriers. He introduces the Symbolical Catechism to overcome language differences and teach Christian doctrine visually.

The People

• Edmund Flagg wants to observe and record the changing landscape of the American West before its romantic past vanishes completely. Standing in the way is the rapid onset of modernization, which reshapes old French villages and sweeps away historic ruins. Through his travels, he becomes a nostalgic elegist for a fleeting era.
• Pierre-Jean de Smet seeks to convert native tribes of the Rocky Mountains and establish permanent, isolated Christian communities modeled on historic South American missions. Language barriers, extreme weather, and vast geographical distances constantly impede his efforts. His persistence transforms him into a prominent religious diplomat and explorer across the mountain West.
• The Flathead (Salish) Chief desires protection, stability, and spiritual guidance for his people in a changing territory. He faces severe seasonal famines, harsh winter climates, and threats from hostile neighboring tribes. By embracing the mission system, he aligns his village with de Smet’s religious and social structure.
• Charles serves as Father de Smet's loyal interpreter on dangerous wilderness journeys. Physical accidents and treacherous mountain trails threaten his safety, including a severe fall during a river crossing that leaves him temporarily senseless. He recovers to continue guiding the missionary through unfamiliar native territories.

In Its Own Voice

"Again the spirit of improvement declared that the venerable old cottage, gray with a century's years, must give place to the style and material of a more modern date..."

This observation highlights Flagg’s regret as modern construction erases historic French architecture along the Mississippi.

"...in these immense solitudes, although the howling of wolves, the hissing of venomous serpents, the roaring of the tiger and the bear be calculated to affright, yet this terror is nothing in comparison with the dread excited in the traveller's soul, upon seeing the fresh tracks of men and horses..."

Father de Smet describes the constant tension and danger experienced while traversing unfamiliar territory in the high plains.

"They are independent of all authority except that of God, and those who represent him."

De Smet summarizes his idealized view of the Flathead nation's spiritual readiness and social isolation in the northern Rockies.

What It's Really About

Beneath its travel narrative, the book explores the collision between traditional societies and rapid national expansion. Flagg focuses on the cost of progress, arguing that modern commercial development destroys unique cultural heritage and peaceful village life. He examines how legal and technological shifts force ancient communities to yield to American enterprise.

De Smet's writings address the challenge of cross-cultural communication and spiritual transformation. He questions how complex theological ideas can be transmitted across vast linguistic divides without losing their meaning. His work highlights the tension between nomadic wilderness survival and settled community life, attempting to preserve native independence by establishing structured, isolated mission villages away from secular frontier influences.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers of frontier history, early American travel literature, and historic missionary accounts. It offers an engaging, firsthand look at the geography and diverse cultures of the nineteenth-century American West before total industrial transformation took hold.

Reading the text feels like sifting through a detailed historical archive. Flagg writes with elegant, nineteenth-century romanticism, filling his pages with vivid descriptions of river bluffs, ruined forts, and quiet villages. In contrast, de Smet’s letters read with directness and urgent purpose, offering immediate observations of mountain travel, tribal customs, and daily mission life.

The book does present specific reading challenges. Readers must navigate detailed historical footnotes, dated spellings, and nineteenth-century racial terminology. Flagg's prose occasionally leans into lengthy philosophical musings, while de Smet's writings reflect the firm religious biases of his era. Yet what stays with the reader is the stark visual memory of a pristine western landscape—from the quiet French cottages along the Mississippi to the snow-covered encampments of the Rocky Mountains.